Ultrasonographic and computed tomographic features of rice bodies in an Arabian horse with atlantal bursitis

Abstract

A 19-year-old castrated Arabian male horse presented for evaluation of a firm mass at the dorsal cervical region. Ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed multiple well defined fusiform structures within the atlantal bursa. Multiple glossy smooth, white to yellowish, flattened fusiform structures were removed surgically. These structures were composed of dense fibrin with some leukocytes and red blood cells. The imaging and histopathological features of these structures were similar to chronic 'rice bodies' reported in humans with bursitis or tenosynovitis. This is the first veterinary report describing the imaging features of 'rice bodies' in a horse with atlantal bursitis.

Cranial nuchal bursitis: Challenges and management options

“…Other potential aetiologies such as bursitis secondary to systemic Although various forms of advanced imaging such as CT or MRI can be helpful in the diagnosis of cranial nuchal bursitis (García-López et al, 2010;Hohu et al, 2020), it is this author's opinion that a thorough ultrasound examination is essential in order to determine the extent of the bursitis, capsular thickness and its contents, all of which are key elements to determine the ideal treatment plan (Figure 2). To date, this author has evaluated and managed both surgically and medically 47 cases of nuchal bursitis, 30 of which were part of the work published by Bergren et al (2018).…”